To Put A Stopper On Death
by SkarahFelin
Summary: What if a distant cousin to James tracked down the Durselys and took custody of Harry? What if that same man didn't trust Dumbledore? What if Severus met him? See how Harry's life would have changed, for better or for worse. (Need a beta!) Pairing Severus Snape/O.C.
1. There Will Be

It was as normal a day as every other day was at Number 4 Pivet Drive. Mrs. Petunia Dursely had brought in the milk and paper, her husband Vernon greeted her at the foot of the steps with a kiss, and her son Dudely was waiting at the table for breakfast. A tiny whisp of a child with messy black hair and startling green eyes was struggling to balance the plates of bacon, sausage, eggs, and waffles, as he carefully brought them to the table before Vernon cuffed him upside the head. "Get out of my sight boy."

That was his way of telling the child to get started on his daily chores. Chores no child of 4 years old should be doing at all. What no-one knew was that this day would be anything but normal. In fact the oddities had already begun. A limosine was making it's way down Pivet Drive, much to the attention of a number of neighbors. It stopped just in front of the quaint little house bearing a polished brass number 4. A gentleman stepped out, and opened the door for the passenger. A young man, barely into his twenties stepped out. Despite his somewhat casual clothing, his look screamed wealth. Black hair, long but tied at the nape of his neck, made bright blue eyes seem even brighter. Crisp white button down shirt tucked into pressed black trousers. Black shoes polished to a shine. He walked swiftly up to the door and knocked.

Petunia looked over the table at her husband, wondering who could possibly be knocking at their door this early in the morning. She rose and headed to find out, Vernon closely behind her. "Yes, may I help you?" Her voice was curt and sharp before she had even taken note of the young man standing on her front steps.

"Indeed you can madam. I'm here for my cousin. I would like to take custody of him. His name is Harry Potter." His voice screamed cultured, but it also held an accent that was decidely not English. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Nathaniel Victorian. The late James Potter was a cousin of mine from the side of the family that isn't really spoken of. Black sheep and all that rot. I am hoping I can save mylittle cousin from such a path though."

Petunia looked to her husband for a moment before she stepped aside, putting on a fake smile of pleasantness. "Please, come in. It has been rather difficult with the boy. My Vernon and I have been doing the best we can, but we have our own son to raise. Are you sure you can handle the child? You seem young to take on such a task." She didn't wait for an answer as she went to fetch the boy from the back yard where he was weeding the garden. Vernon took over speaking with their guest as she tried to make the boy as presentable as she could. There was no hiding that her son's cast off clothing was a few sizes too big for the child.

"I hve many resources at my disposal." He responded to her question and turned to Vernon. "I have the papers here for the transfer of custody. I had my lawyer draw them up to save you the trouble and money. All I need is yours and your wife's signature and I will get them filed through my lawyer. No fuss." He held the mentioned papers out to Vernon and for a brief moment Vernon wondered where the young man had been keeping them, before he shook the thought away.

"Of course, just let me grab a pen." He headed for the tiny desk in the corner of the sitting room that was never used. "Now bear in mind that boy needs a firm hand to keep him out of trouble. I've done my best to straighten him out." He missed the rolling of sapphire blue eyes.

"I understand completely. I expect I'll run into some trouble with him, but I'm sure it's nothing I can't sort out." His smile was obviously false, but like everything else with the Durselys, Vernon saw what he wanted to see. Vernon quickly signed the papers and when Petunia returned her handed her the pen to do so as well. "Does he have anything that is specifically his?"

"We weren't left with anything for him. He was just left on the doorstep. Right out with the milk and the morning post." Petunia replied as she all but shoved the waif of a child at the young man. He nodded curtley and gestured to the boy.

"Let us be going then. I haven't all day. I have a business meeting for lunch." He was curt with the child and ushered the boy out to the limo; "I'll have the papers filed right away, and see about perhaps a small bit of compensation for the past few years that you've had to suffer his presence." With that he was climbing into the limo as well and once again, all was perfectly normal on Pivet Drive as the limo drove away.

The young man couldn't help himself anymore as he doubled over laughing within the limo. "I cannot believe how easy that was. Harry, they are probably the stupidest people I have ever met." He looked the small child over and sighed. "First thing first, to the manor. I need to call my personal healer to come and see to you. See how muchdamage they've done. Then we'll get you some clothes and toys. Tomorrow I'll see about a private tutor to start your education, and a trip to the goblins is in order as well I think. For now though..." He reached out, noting how the child flinched and opened a small compartment. He pulled a bottle of water from it and cracked it open, holding it out to the child. "Drink up. It isn't much, but I doubt your stomach could handle much right now anyways."

Harry stared at the man. Everything had happened so fast that his head was spinning. He had been weeding the garden as he did every morning when suddenly he was being ushered inside by Aunt Petunia. Next thing he knew he was being put in a limo and now the man was talking aboutall sorts of stuff that he didn't understand. He did what possibly any child in his place might do. He fainted.


	2. No Foolish Wand Waving

Six years had passed since Harry had come to live with Nathaniel. The man refused to let Harry call him anything other than Nathaniel. But he had treated him well. After a rather heavy round of nutrient potions to correct the Dursely's neglect, Harry had his vision corrected as well and had started thriving in the man's care. Today marked six years to the day since the papers had been signed. Harry was squirming in his chair at the breakfast table. "Please Nathaniel. I want to go to Diagon Alley with you."

"We have had this discussion Harry. You are too recognizable. You know we run a risk every time I bring you to England with me as it is. Dumbledore was not happy about my taking cutody of you. Me being American was the only thing that saved us. Otherwise you'd still be with those no-mags. Now finish your breakfast. As it's still summer time I was able to get you a special tutor for a couple of weeks. He arrives today." Nathaniel snapped open his pape, ending the discussion.

Harry picked at his food for a few moments before sighing and eating. He wouldn't trade the past six years for anything, even if Nathaniel was not the most affectionate man to live with. Harry had gotten to travel to so many places, and the man made sure Harry never lacked for anything. Even friends, though they were all back in America. When he finished he looked up to see Nathaniel patiently waiting on him. "So what kind of tutor is he?"

"Potions. It took quite a bit to get him to agree, but when I showed him your scores on the apitude test from the Salem Academy for the Gifted, and told him that you cultivate rare snakes for potion ingredients, he was hooked." The man's grin was almost shark-like. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. He is the youngest potions Master to date, and with any luck, you might one day beat him in that."

Harry nodded and excused himself from the table. "I'll be in the west greenhouse. The black mamba eggs are supposed to be hatching soon." He barely waited for Nathaniel to wave him away. The next few hours passed quickly and found him covered in snakes, sitting on the floor of the greenhouse. That was the sight that greeted his guardian and his new potions tutor.

"Potions Master Snape, if I may introduce my ward, Harry Potter." Harry was engrossed in a conversation with a particularly large burmese python at the time and took no notice of the potions master's reaction.

"You mean to tell me that I've been hired to teach Potter's spawn? I must decline." The dour man made to turn on his heel and leave.

"He is not his parents, Master Snape. I knew James. Hated my cousin. Arrogant, a bit of a bully as well. Harry is none of those things. Rather it's a struggle to get him to accept something even when he wants it. This greenhouse, and these snakes, are the only thing he ever asked for. And I know as a potions master, you couldn't possibly want to give up the chance at fresh basilisk ingredients, could you?" He knew exactly how to hook the potion's master.

Snape turned and glared at the man. "And you can guarantee met that?"

Nathaniel smirked and turned towards his younger cousin. "Harry. Potions Master Snape would like access to whatever ingredients you can harvest from Annabell. What do you think?"

Harry looked up, emerald eyes blinking owlishly. "Hm? Oh, yeah, of course. It's the least I can do for learning from the best. You did say he is the best after all. Means they'll be put to good use. Oh! I've got something for him already. The mambas hatched. Two of them didn't make it. So I put them in the preservation box along with the shells." He hissed and the snakes departed so that he could stand and dust himself off. He hurried to a bench where incubators sat and came back with a plain wooden box. "Here you are Master Snape."

"I'll leave you two to it then. Harry will show you to the labs, and your bags are in your room. I will see you both at dinner." And with that it was sealed. Severus Snape was spending the next three weekes before the new school year at Hogwarts started, teaching Harry Potter.


End file.
